Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Labour)

It should also be noted that the hospitality sector suffers from one of the highest levels of breaches of employment law. The National Employment Rights Authority, NERA, inspectorate found that between 70% and 80% of businesses investigated in the catering and hotel sector were in breach of employment laws. In 2008 and 2009, NERA found workers in the sectors receiving as little as €3 to €5 per hour. Over this two year period, NERA recovered almost €2 million in wage arrears. The living standards of workers in this sector - predominantly women, young people and people from new communities - are already precarious. Were the JLC rates to be abolished with a resulting fall in wages, this would result in an annual wage cut of more than €1,250 for general catering workers. This would also increase the level of income inequality in society.

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